It has become fashionable, in some quarters, to decry orchestrated 'dialogues' between sci-entists and the public as excuses for much talk and little in the way of practical outcomes. But for synthetic biology in Europe, at least, it is dialogue or bust. Unless the public is on board, the field won't develop here, where loss of public trust has halted entire technologies.rnThat's why the engineers and biologists who are interested in synthetic biology have been working to embed social scientists and members of the public firmly in the field. Their involvement will be crucial as it develops, from the early exploration of concepts and tools to the still-remote prospect of plants and microorganisms 'designed' for various uses.
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